COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY v. KEN SALAZAR, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF COLORADO, et al
No. 03-1082
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
June 7 , 2004 decided
As a result of the 2000 census, Congress allotted an additional seat in the House of Representatives to Colorado. The Colorado General Assembly failed to pass a congressional redistricting plan in time for the 2002 elections. In response to a suit brought by Colorado voters, a Colorado State District Court drew a congressional district map for the 2002 elections that took account of the new census figures and conformed to federal voting rights requirements. Avalos v. Davidson , No. 01–CV–2897, 2002 WL 1895406 (Jan. 25, 2002), aff'd sub nom. Beauprez v. Avalos , 42 P. 3d 642 ( Colo. 2002) (en banc).
At the end of the 2003 regular session, the newly elected General Assembly enacted a redistricting plan, which was signed into law on May 9, 2003. Shortly thereafter, the Colorado Attorney General, Ken Salazar, filed an original action in the Supreme Court of Colorado, seeking an in-junction to prevent the Colorado Secretary of State, Donetta Davidson, from implementing the General Assembly's redistricting plan and requesting a writ of mandamus requiring Davidson to return to the 2002 redistricting plan. The General Assembly intervened on the respondents' side to join Davidson.